


I’m Home

by the_rainbow_ship



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Happy Ending, Love Triangle, M/M, Panic Attacks, Yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-12-17 18:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21058880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_rainbow_ship/pseuds/the_rainbow_ship
Summary: Will returns to Hawkins to visit Mike





	I’m Home

He should have expected this to happen. This was the first time Will had returned to Hawkins in two months. He was so excited to see Mike, they’d been writing to each other of course but the post never seemed to arrive quick enough. His mother had dropped both he and El off outside the Wheeler house, a small smile on her face as she said she’d pick them both up in a few hours. Of course adding the whole “and call me if you need me” that she was now used to saying.

Eleven trotted happily to the front door, knocking eagerly. Will still felt hesitant, why did he decide bringing her would be a good idea? They’d probably just be sucking face the entire time to spite him. Slowly, his feet gravitated towards the house, standing beside his sort-of-sister just in time for the door to swing open. Will barely had time to blink before he was engulfed into a tight embrace, an arm coming to rest at his waist whilst another came to cradle the back of his head. Will couldn’t help but blush upon realising that this was Mike, holding him in a way he never had before, so tenderly that it was as though nothing else mattered to him. His heart squeezed, his own arms belatedly wrapping around his best friend and just letting himself get lost in the moment. He had waited eight and a half weeks for this moment and he was going to make the most of it. 

“I missed you so much” Mike whispered softly, so softly that Will almost missed it. The pair finally let go of the embrace with matching grins, only then did Mike seem to realise El had been watching with a smirk of her own. “Mike” she chuckled, hugging him quickly and carelessly as if she’d been passed a hot potato, ready to pass it on. “Lets go inside now” she said, walking past Mike completely in search of a snack. Will flushed, El’s interaction with Mike had been so different from the last time he’d seen them together he almost felt whiplash. She’d asked him so often when it was he’d be coming to visit Hawkins that he figured she couldn’t wait to see Mike.. now he was just confused. 

” I need to talk to Mike, Will go set up d&d in the basement we won’t be long” 

_Ah, there it was _ Will thought, _she’s going to berate him now for the cold welcome and then they’ll end up making out as an apology _. Will was so done with the idea he’d rolled his eyes, muttering a quiet ‘Sure’ before heading downstairs. He looked back just in time to see El grab Mike’s hand and giggle as she stormed up stairs. Will felt his stomach churn. 

Slowly, he decended down the stairs. The basement seemingly untouched from the last time he’d been here. Pictures he’d gifted to Mike of the party still occupying the walls like they were treasured and supposed to be there. It made Will’s heart swell. He sat on the couch, remembering the vow he and Mike had made to go ‘crazy together’ so long ago. Another image came to mind soon after, a memory of Mike and Lucas ditching him all together to go ‘fix’ Mike’s relationship with El, completely forgetting Will had been left there alone. 

Exhaling a shaky breath, Will remembered that Mike loved Eleven whether they were dating currently or not. El was his sister now and he should be rooting for them, not hating every second of knowing they were alone in Mike’s bedroom. He just couldn’t help it; his blood was almost itching and burning out of anxiety, they were just going to forget he was down here until he returned upstairs under the pretence of leaving to visit Dustin and Steve. 

Will tried to focus as his numb legs guided him down to the make-shift bed that Mike had made for Eleven back when he’d been missing. A teddy bear sitting beside the pillow as if awaiting somebodies return. His hands trembled as he picked up the walkie-talkie that lay on the blanket to make room for him to sit. He’d returned his to Mike when he moved away, the distance between them too far for the signal to reach. Subconsciously, he cradled the device to his chest. He felt lost. He’d counted down the days to this moment and now that it was here.. now he was back with Mike he was nowhere to be seen. As if he were in the Upside Down version of the Wheeler’s house just begging and hoping for Mike to reach him. 

“Mike” Will said, his voice breaking in the middle as his eyes welled with tears. He’d longed for Mike since long before he’d left Hawkins. He just wanted to be held in Mike’s seemingly too long arms and cradled like he was special. For Mike to realise that going Crazy Together actually meant something to him. That he still thought about that argument that caused him to break Castle Byers. “Damn it, Mike” Will started to cry, curling in on himself tighter as he lay down on the blanket, a perfect replica of the fetal position. He remembered how the Upside Down felt, how anxious he’d been and how Mike cared for him upon his return. He remembered how he needed Mike just as much as he needed his mother or Jonathan. Mike made him feel safe in a way his other friends just couldn’t. Will couldn’t help but cry, here in Mike’s basement by himself in a den that had been made for El and never removed. It felt like a metaphor somehow, like El had gone but Mike still expected her return. 

Time seemed to halt, his sobs loud and unrestrained as he cradled himself. He thought he’d have learnt from last time, Mike was never going to chose him over a girl, now was he? 

He felt his entire body move, startling him as he felt somebody hoisting him up onto them. He opened his eyes to find it had been Mike, moving to cradle him on his lap. Wrapping him up like a security blanket. “Shhhh Will, it’s okay. You’re not alone anymore” Mike whispered, a wide palmed hand smoothing over his back reassuringly followed by a featherlight kiss on the side of his head. Making him jump to a point where his sob caught in throat. He wiped frantically at his eyes, opening them quickly as if he expected this to be a dream. 

“You’re not alone, Will” Mike said once more, using his thumb to wipe away one of Will’s stray tears. A small, kind smile coming to his lips as his intense gaze met his own. Electricity seemed to hit him then in a way he hadn’t felt before. Here he was, sitting on his crush’s lap just inches away from their lips meeting in the space between them. He was sat so close that he could see how Mike’s lips been bitten as if he’d been chewing on them absentmindedly. “Crazy together” Mike smiled, his eyes flitting between Will’s eyes and his lips. 

“Crazy together” Will repeated, leaning his forehead to rest against Mike’s. It felt oddly comforting to be in his lap like this, breathing the same air. He felt his heart skip a beat and figured that this must be how couples felt, or how love truly feels. “Mike... i’m going to ask something really weird now okay? and if you don’t want to that’s totally fine and i won’t blame you-“  
“No” Mike said quietly but quickly, “it needs to be spontaneous”.  
“What does?” Will questioned, finally lifting his head to look Mike in those beautiful eyes of his. 

It was that moment that his heart stopped beating altogether, because the next thing he knew was that there was no space between he and Mike anymore. Mike had closed it in favour of their lips meeting delicately in the middle.

The next thing Will knew was El giggling from the corner by the base of the stairs. “Finally!” She cheered, running over to hold the pair of them in her arms. “You both are so stupid, I asked Mike upstairs when he was going to ask you out” she laughed as Mike stuttered trying to defend himself as she ruffled Will’s hair. He smiled, hugging El before returning his attention to Mike.  
“Crazy and Stupid” Will smirked, a wave of confidence washing over him as he surged forward. Lips meeting once again before pulling back. Mike grinned, obviously happy with the affection. 

“Crazy and Stupid”.


End file.
